Volume 26, Issue 124, June 2022

The impact of physical activity and meditation to reduce stress and anxiety during covid-19 pandemic: Knowledge and awareness assessment

Ali S Mubarak¹, Asayel M Alzahrani², Rayan D Alamri³, Amal A Asiri⁴, Shahad A Alzahrani², Fawziah Y Alwadai⁵, Awatif A Saeedi², Khames T Alzahrani⁶

¹Consultant Family medicine, Alhada Military Hospital, Taif, Saudi Arabia
²Medical student, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
³Medical student, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
⁴Lecturer of pharmacy practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
⁵Medical student, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia
⁶BDS, PGD in Endo, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Background: COVID-19 is a disease that is caused by the coronavirus and until today, there has been no-effective treatment for this virus. In this study, our aim is to estimate the mediating effect of health behavior engagement on the associations between mental health and COVID-19–related worry, stress. Moreover, how Physical activity affect psychological health through the COVID19 pandemic in Saudi adult population. Methodology: This study was a cross-sectional survey conducted in Saudi Arabia from October 2021 to April 2022. The least possible sample size to achieve an accuracy of 5% marginal error with 95% confidence level is 384. The sample was made up of adults (male & female) who are residents of Saudi Arabia. SPSS 26 used for data entry and data analysis. Results: The study included 1698 participants, Seventy percent of them were females and 30% were males. 51.1% of participants aged between 20- 30 years old. 6.5% always and 17% usually feel nervous or anxious. 5% always and 12.9% usually feel inability to control anxiety. 65.1% of participants practiced meditation before the pandemic but only 38.3% practice it currently after the pandemic. Of the participants who used to meditate before the pandemic. Conclusion: The study concluded that increased exercise and meditation were linked with better-quality mental health and decreased the level of anxiety through the pandemic. The findings emphasize the importance of maintaining self-management health behaviors like physical activity and meditation to maintain one's mental health throughout pandemic of COVID-19.

Keywords: Physical Activity, Meditation, COVID-19 pandemic

Medical Science, 2022, 26, ms211e2325

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v26i124/ms211e2325

Published: 09 June 2022